Why Tenerife Is the Canary Islands’ Best-Kept Secret for Coliving and Remote Work
The Canary Islands are quickly becoming one of Europe’s most desirable destinations for digital nomads and remote workers. With year-round sunshine, EU residency perks, and a growing number of coliving spaces, the archipelago offers a unique blend of lifestyle and productivity.
And at the heart of it all is Tenerife the largest island, and arguably the most versatile. From volcanic mountains to surf beaches to fast-growing nomad communities, Tenerife is the ideal launchpad for a creative, location-independent lifestyle.
North Tenerife is, in a word, ridiculous. Not in the sense of silly hats or novelty keyrings, but in the sense that it feels faintly absurd that somewhere so small could contain quite so much scenery. You can set off from Santa Cruz, a bustling city full of trams, container ships, and people who appear to dress as if they’re either going to the beach or the opera — sometimes simultaneously — and within half an hour you’re in Anaga, which looks like the set designer for Jurassic Park got carried away.
The mountains there aren’t content with merely being high and green; no, they must also be draped in mist, studded with villages that cling to cliffsides like stubborn barnacles, and crisscrossed with trails that make you wonder whether the word “path” might be a mistranslation of “ordeal.” It is breathtakingly beautiful, though much of the breathtaking is due to the fact that you’ve just climbed 400 stone steps that were seemingly designed for giants.
Down on the coast, Bajamar provides what must surely be the most heroic swimming pools on earth. The Atlantic hurls itself at the sea wall in great booming explosions of spray, and the locals respond by calmly doing laps in the pools carved into the shoreline, as if being one ill-timed wave away from Portugal is perfectly normal. Which, for them, it apparently is.
La Laguna, meanwhile, is a lovely old colonial town that looks like someone took bits of Spain and Portugal, stirred them together, and then dropped the whole mixture in the Canaries with a shrug. It has pastel-coloured facades, cobbled streets, and about seven million students, which means the atmosphere is part UNESCO heritage site, part fresher’s week. You can admire a 16th-century cathedral while being overtaken by three young people on electric scooters eating ice cream.
And Santa Cruz, the capital, is simultaneously cosmopolitan and faintly bewildered. It has a carnival that rivals Rio, shopping centres that would swallow small English counties whole, and roundabouts, so many roundabouts, that driving there feels like being trapped in a perpetual children’s game of musical chairs.
All in all, North Tenerife is splendid. It has mountains that defy gravity, towns that defy time, seas that defy common sense, and an atmosphere that makes you feel as though you’ve somehow lucked into living in a screensaver. It is, quite frankly, unfair.
Why Remote Workers and Founders Are Moving to Tenerife
1. Year-Round Spring Weather
Tenerife is famous for its eternal spring, with temperatures hovering between 20–26°C (68–79°F) all year. If you’re looking for a destination that supports mental clarity and outdoor living every month of the year, this is it.
2. Affordable, EU-Based Living
Unlike Lisbon or Barcelona, Tenerife still offers relatively low costs of living—especially outside the tourist-heavy south. That makes it ideal for remote workers and startup founders extending their runway without leaving the European Union. You might also want to register your company in Spain or in Estonia (also part of the EU).
3. Active Digital Nomad and Coliving Scene
Tenerife is home to a growing number of coworking and coliving spaces, particularly in places like Santa Cruz, La Laguna, and surf towns like El Médano. Communities are forming around shared values: sustainability, creativity, entrepreneurship, and freedom.
4. Great Internet and Infrastructure
Fast fiber connections, a solid mobile network, and reliable transport links (including two airports) make Tenerife surprisingly well-equipped for remote work—despite its off-grid appearance on the map.
5. Nature That Recharges You
From the volcanic peak of Mount Teide to the ancient forests of Anaga, Tenerife offers a wide variety of landscapes and microclimates. Surf in the morning, hike in the afternoon, and watch the stars from the mountains at night—all on the same day.
Why Nomadhut Chose Tenerife for Its First Coliving Hub
At Nomadhut, we’re creating a global network of coliving spaces for entrepreneurs, creatives, and remote workers who want to live more intentionally, affordably, and collaboratively. Tenerife was an obvious first choice:
- It’s beautiful but underhyped, avoiding the over-saturation of places like Lisbon or Bali.
- It offers affordable real estate with long-term growth potential, making it ideal for our crowdfunded, equity-based model.
- It has a small but growing community of people actively shaping the future of work and life.
Our first site, in Bajamar, La Laguna, is a converted hotel just steps from natural pools, trails, and surf. We’re building it out as a live/work sanctuary for deep focus, collaboration, and creativity.
Where to Base Yourself in Tenerife
Here are a few standout areas on the island for remote workers and potential coliving:
- Bajamar/La Laguna – Peaceful, green, and local in feel. Close to universities, trails, and surf, with fewer tourists than the south. This is where Nomadhut’s first coliving hub is located.
- Santa Cruz – The capital, offering more urban amenities and connections while still near nature.
- El Médano – A kitesurfing hotspot with a laid-back international vibe. Smaller in size but growing in popularity.
- Puerto de la Cruz – A charming northern town with ocean views, botanical gardens, and a slightly older expat crowd.
A Launchpad to the Rest of the Canary Islands
Tenerife is also a perfect base for exploring the rest of the Canary Islands, each with its own vibe and nomad potential:
- Gran Canaria – Known for Las Palmas, its coworking scene, and mild winter sun.
- La Palma & La Gomera – Quiet and lush, ideal for writers, researchers, and slow-living creatives.
- Fuerteventura – A kitesurfing and desert-lover’s paradise.
With ferry and flight connections, Nomadhut envisions a network of coliving spaces across the Canary Islands, where members can move fluidly between islands as they work, rest, and build.
Want to live, create, and connect in Tenerife?
Join our early access list and be part of the first wave of Nomadhut members shaping the future of coliving in the Canary Islands.